Paris named world's best student city 2015

For the third consecutive year, Paris has topped a newly released ranking of the most student-friendly cities in the world for, among other things, being home to world-class institutions, renowned academics and offering low tuition fees.

Though the City of Light may be known more for its luxury boutiques and fine dining restaurant scene than for being a budget-friendly destination, in fact, analysts who compiled the QS Best Student Cities list say that Paris is a hotbed of intellectual and academic activity and likewise offers a slew of student-friendly incentives.

The index was based on five main factors: university rankings, student mix, quality of living, employment and affordability.

Leading the top 10 list are Canada and Australia, which landed two spots each for cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Montreal and Toronto.

Overall, the US led the top 50 list with eight cities, followed by Australia (6) and the UK (4).

The best student city, meanwhile, is home to 17 QS-ranked universities (a previously released ranking of the best institutions around the world), second only to London which secured 18 spots.

The report also points out that students in Paris enjoy a solid reputation among employers, who will actively seek out graduates from elite universities like ENS Paris, Ecole Polytechnique ParisTech, Sciences Po Paris and the Université Paris-Sorbonne -- all of which have produced some of the most influential philosophers, scientists, writers and artists in the last century, analysts note.

Likewise, low tuition fees counterbalance the high cost of living in Paris, the report says.

In a bid to make it more student-friendly, the city has also been offering free admission into museums and national monuments for visitors under the age of 26 since 2009.

And don’t forget, it’s also Paris, the report adds.

“But finally, all the measurements used to create the QS Best Student Cities still don’t capture the real appeal of studying in Paris, one of the world’s most historic, culturally vital and beautiful cities.”